Libya: A fighter jet launched an air strike yards from houses on the edge of rebel-held Ras Lanuf; there were no casualties or damage. (AFP)

Libya: Al Jazeera received footage that supposedly revealed Libyan army officers were killed for refusing to fire on the rebels. (Al Jazeera)

Somalia: Pro-government forces closed in on the insurgent Shebab group, in the largest coordinated effort in years. (AFP, Agencies)

ASIA

Afghanistan: Special operations units executed a night raid last night leading to 3 killed Taliban insurgents and 14 detained in Helmand province. (Xinhua)

Korean Peninsula: Seoul announced plans to deploy more fighter jets, helicopters, artillery, and advanced spy aircraft to better prepare for potential attacks by North Korea. (AP)

Thailand: The government claimedviolence is escalating in its insurgency-hit deep south following a series of bomb and gun attacks last Tuesday. (AFP)

EUROPE

Region: The US deployed warship USS Monterey, capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, to the Mediterranean Sea to protect Europe from a potential Iranian nuclear threat. (CP)

Spain: Police foiled two major ETA attacks intended to both blow up Madrid’s “twin towers” and to kill the Basque prime minster, which were planned for 2010. (DPA)

Spain: A judge ordered the prosecution of 6 Basque separatists and two former ETA leaders for training with the FARC in the Venezuelan jungle. (AFP)

LATIN AMERICA

Colombia: 23 Colombian subcontractors for Canada’s Talisman Energy were kidnapped in Guerima; the air force launched a search in the region and are focusing on the possibility of a FARC retaliation for an unsuccessful extortion attempt. (Dow Jones)